Muscle strength loss in 4 weeks

[turoati]

Supposed I was to pack up my piece-of-shit-mobile and drive cross country for 4 weeks. I wouldn't be able to eat well... whatever I can get cheaply... and I would only be able to do bodyweight exercise (probably inconsistently). How much muscle and strength would I be apt to lose?



I know the answer is a broud range - I'm just trying to get an idea.

[donniea]

I lost a month due to injury and probably went down ~20% on lifts..this is just a rough estimate based on bench. It came back fairly quickly once I started again..

[Viator]

Turoati,



back in the summer of 2000 a few friends and I did just that: drove cross country for 4 weeks. We all exercised by doing calistenics (sp) every day for 15-20 mins, plus we did a shit load of hiking. Our meals consisted mostly of canned goods, fruit from fruit stands, beef jerky, and fast food. If you're conscious of what you eat, i.e: chicken sandwiches, turkey chili, nuts, fresh fruit, you can maintain a good deal of your physique. Actually, from all the hiking we did in Utah, Colorado, S. Dakota, and Arizona, I was pretty friggin' ripped by the end of the month. Hell, even beer can be somewhat nutritious if you stick to brews like Guiness or "blonde-wheat" style beers. When I left Jersey I was 198, and ~10% bf. when I got back, I was 192, and significantly leaner. Once I hit the gym my strength was pretty much where it was before.



Oh yea, and we stopped at almost every gym we saw, inlcuding the mecca, Muscle Beach

[Judah Bauer]

i doubt you'll lose any actual contractile tissue as long as you get a decent amoutn of protein and cals. You'll lose glycogen and feel smaller, but I dont' think much damage can be done in 4 weeks of what really amounts to "rest".